On December 4, 2013 the Ministry of Environment of Ecuador ordered the dissolution of Fundación Pachamama, a founding member of the Global Alliance for the Rights of Nature. Fundación Pachamama – an advocate for human, indigenous, and nature’s rights – played a central role in establishing Rights of Nature in Ecuador’s Constitution. In violation of the rule of law and the Constitution, police closed the offices of Fundación Pachamama without affording the foundation an opportunity to respond to the trumped up allegations that it is ”interfering in public policy” and “endangering the internal security and peace.”

This dissolution is a violation of the legitimate right of Fundación Pachamama as a member of civil society to disagree with the government’s decisions, such as the decision to turn over Amazonian indigenous people’s land to oil companies in direct violation of their constitutional rights and the rights of nature. The national government of Ecuador has repeatedly sought to interfere with the important work of civil society organizations advocating for the protection of the natural environment and peoples of Ecuador. We believe that this attempt to silence Fundación Pachamama is part of a concerted attack by the current government of Ecuador on all Ecuadorians who are working for the realisation of the vision of living well in harmony with Nature which is enshrined in the Constitution of Ecuador.

We stand in support of Fundación Pachamama and freedom of speech in Ecuador. We demand that the Ministry of Environment immediately revoke its order dissolving the foundation and call upon people and organizations around the world to join us in condemning this repressive act and in intensifying our efforts to advance human, nature and collective rights.

* For more information and statements from Fundación Pachamama, visit http://TheRightsofNature.us2.list-manage.com/track/click?u=87ed6b2ba86c4cd4f1c93a720&id=c002d2052f&e=900c8b4fd4